The present invention relates to a method of sparging off-notes in mint flavors using nitrogen. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of adding nitrogen sparged mint flavors to oral compositions, including chewing gum.
Mint flavors utilized in oral compositions may manifest undesirable, volatile off-notes. These off-notes are often characterized as being harsh and acid-like and producing an unpleasant aroma. Examples of such off-notes include dimethyl sulfide, isobutanol, and isovaleraldehyde.
Volatile off-notes in mint flavors have previously been eliminated by various techniques, including vacuum distillation. This method, however, is not easily controllable and is labor and technology intensive. Methods which utilize heat to eliminate off-notes volatilize desirable flavor components, speed up oxidation reactions, and may ultimately damage favorable properties of the flavor.